Saturday, July 27, 2013

It is said that "variety is the spice of life."
While a defender may know that Bill Wall is going to play the Jerome Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+, he certainly will not know what variation Bill is going to spring upon him.Wall,B - Guest2360621PlayChess.com, 20131.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qa3

This is the 6th different Queen move that Bill has played in this position. As he notes, "I try to make a new move every time when I can, to see what happens. The Queen can probably go anywhere as long as it is not taken or trapped."Previously,9.Qe3 - Wall,B - Parsom, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 25); Wall,B - HeHe, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 19); Wall,B - Reza,A, Chess.com, 2011 (1-0, 43); Wall,B - G3LC, PlayChess.com, 2011 (1-0, 22); Wall,B - Guest3312852, PlayChess.com, 2012 (1-0, 26);9.Qh5 - Wall,B - Guest1475978, Sofia, 2013(1-0, 28);9.Qb5+ - Wall,B - Zhu,Y, Chess.com, 2011 (1-0, 19); Wall,B - Guest327668, PlayChess.com, 2012 (1-0, 22);9.Qc4 - Wall,B - Royercordova, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0,18);9.Qc3 - Wall,B - NFTM, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 22); Wall,B - Jaar,J, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 19).
For the record, Houdini 3, given 10 minutes "thought" for "infinite analysis", prefers 9.Qe3 (-.92), followed by 9.Qc3 (-1.17) and 9.Qb5+ (-1.29).9...Nf6
The current game is the only one in The Database with this line. Bill suggests as an alternative 9...Qh4.10.0-0 Be6
Not 10...Nxe4? because of 11.Qa4+.11.f4 Bf7 12.f5 Ne5 13.d4 Nc6 14.d5
Bill suggests as well the alternative 14.Qd314...Ne5

Thursday, July 25, 2013

The fourth and final round of the Chess.com Italian Game thematic tournament has started, and there are four competitors: JoseSoza of Chile, vz721 of Russia, MarkHundleby1 of Canada, and yours truly, perrypawnpusher of the USA.This presented as many as three more opportunities to defend the "honor" of the Jerome Gambit 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+, depending on how my opponents wished to defend.So far, JoseSoza has declined the Jerome with 3...Be7, choosing the Hungarian Defense. This is his second "pass" after scoring two wins against my Gambit in rounds one and two.On the other hand, vz721 has allowed it with 3...Bc5, and I was quick to sacrifice the Bishop! Let us hope this is not another example of Act in haste, Repent at leisure.I have Black against MarkHundleby1 right now (defending against the Evans Gambit; alas, not the Evans Jerome Gambit), so the chance for a Jerome Gambit has to wait - unless he plays it against me!The results, as for previous rounds, come what may, will be reported. graphic by Jeff Bucchino, the Wizard of Draws

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

In a comment to the previous post on this blog, Quckturtle asked if I played the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) in over-the-board games.I responded in the negative, mostly because I rarely play face-to-face games these days; instead, I play blitz and turn-based games on the internet.Indeed, Eric Schiller, in his 2002 Gambit Chess Openings, referred to the Jerome Gambit as a "cyberspace gambit".Yet, I wonder along with Quickturtle: who plays the Jerome Gambit in over-the-board play these days?I have known for years that Jerome Gambit Gemeinde member Pete Banks ("blackburne") from Great Britain used to play it regularly - but, who else?If you know someone, or if you play the Jerome otb yourself, please drop me a quick note (richardfkennedy@hotmail.com) or add a comment to this post, and let us know.

Sunday, July 21, 2013

Here is the second kind of Jerome Gambit game that I encounter, where my opponent and I toss the game back and forth, and there are plenty of chances for me to take the advantage and run.Sometimes, like in the following game, I do so.perrypawnpusher - charlyeliotblitz, FICS, 20131.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Nf6

A familiar position - I've been here over 40 times, scoring over 80%.10.0-0 Bd7 11.f4Standard pawn play for me, but perhaps 11.d4 was a bit better.11...Bb5Or 11...Qe7 as in perrypawnpusher - peroneal, blitz, FICS, 2009(½-½, 56).12.d3 Ng4 13.Qg3 Nf6

The Knight returns home. From a different perspective, 13...Qh4, looking to exchange Queens, was playable. (Curiously, an almost identical position after 13...Qh4 occurred in Wall, B. - Guest3312852, Playchess.com, 2012 [1-0, 26], only Black';s Bishop was on c4 and White's Knight was on c3.)14.Nc3 Qd7I occasionally use Houdini 3 to help me understand what is going on. Using "blunder check" set at 5 minutes per move, the program boiled the game down to the basics: 14...Bc6 15.f5 Nf8 16.d4 h5 17.Re1 Kf7 18.Bg5 Kg8 19.e5 dxe5 20.dxe5 h4 21.Qf4 Nd5 22.Qd2 Qd7 23.e6 Qd6 24.Nxd5 Qxd5 25.Qxd5 Bxd5 26.e7 Bc6 27.exf8Q+ Rxf8 28.Re5 Rh5 29.f6 gxf6 30.Bxf6 where White has a small, but perhaps not decisive edge.Who knew?15.f5This move is okay, but I missed 15.e5 dxe5 16.fxe5 Nd5 17.e6!? which sets up the tactical shot 17...Qc6 18.Nxd5 Qxd5 19.c4 winning a piece.15...Ne5 16.d4This exchange sacrifice is not good.16...Nh5

The smoke is clearing, and White has two pawns for the exchange.20.Be3 Qa6+ 21.Kg1 Qc6 22.e5 dxe5 23.dxe5 g6 24.fxg6

Stronger was 24.Qh3 gxf5 25.Rf1.24...Qxg6 25.Qxg6Exchanging favors. Black should have captured on g6 with the pawn, and White had a much better choice in 25.Qe2!?25...hxg6 26.Bd4 Rh6 27.Nd5

There is still a fight going on. Black should now protect his c-pawn with his Rook, as his choice of moves allows another tactical shot (which I missed).27...Kd728.Rd1Instead, 28.e6+!? wins material.28...Kc629.Nb4+Kb5 30.Nd3 a6

Search This Blog

About Me

I've been researching Alonzo Wheeler Jerome's gambit since 2001. I am always interested in receiving games and analysis: as old as 1874, when the opening first was published, or as recent as today -- casual or serious, blitz or classical time settings, human or computer (or both).
Readers can reach me at richardfkennedy@hotmail.com.perrypawnpusher is the name I play under at different chess sites.
My book reviews and fiction were at Chessville.com - while it lived. I have written for Chess Life, School Mates, and Chess Life for Kids.
Dedicated researchers may connect my name to that of Riley Sheffield - we co-wrote The Marshall Gambit in the French and Sicilian Defenses , published by Dale Brandreth's Caissa in 1988.